Dialogue on race

Race is a sensitive issue for many people of all colors. Sometimes, it's easier to ignore it, to shove it as far from us as possible. But trying to ignore race doesn't make the issues go away.

As long as students wonder whether the color of their skin has anything to do with the grade they get, as long as a phrase or a word means something different depending on who uses it, as long as interracial dating has its added complexities, and as long as people can slip thoughtlessly into stereotyping one another, race will remain an issue.

Some people spend their lives combating negative racial stereotypes. Others don't consciously think about it until something forces them to. As a community, EMU values diversity, but we are also flawed people living in a flawed world. Maybe it's a mistake or a sin of the subconscious, or maybe it's just a different interpretation of an event that causes a conflict. Whatever the case, such situations can create a lot of pain.

Silence does not resolve conflicts or address pain. We don't learn anything when people are silent, but speaking up takes courage, and resolution requires vulnerability from both sides. Nor do we learn anything when we address our concerns only with those who think like us. It's certainly easier to go to our friends with our frustrations seeking sympathy and justification, and we often do this not realizing that it can make the conflict worse. It builds up an "us vs. them" scenario that fosters attitudes of separatism.

Racial conflicts need to be addressed through dialogue, and that dialogue needs to happen in the right way. This means direct communication between those people who have been hurt and those who have (perhaps unintentionally) caused harm. It requires patience, respect, and a willingness to hear one another, because we all want our side of the story to be heard.

Conflict resolution also has to allow for change both in ourselves and others. Too often labels get in the way of dealing with conflicts, and deny individuals the space to learn and grow. As someone becomes a "victim" or an "offender," their individual identity and needs get lost. Piling on guilt or dismissing concerns can discourage people from addressing important issues and opening themselves to change. Few people like the idea that they might hurt other people, so while it's important to challenge people for their assumptions or lack of consideration, it's also important to offer them a way to save face and redeem themselves.

Conflicts involving race are really just another type of conflict. However they are very personal conflicts because they deal with aspects of ourselves that we can't change. And this does not just apply to minorities, because racial issues affect us all. There may need to be structural changes, but at the end of the day, it's about individuals and building relationships.

As Melody Pannell said at the Wednesday night panel discusion on race issues, dialogue on racism is really about reaching a better understanding, and finding healing and hope by moving through the issues to the other side. Dialogue is important, and we want to encourage students and faculty to work at addressing these issues, but most of all, we want to emphasize the pursuit for understanding.